Page 32

CHAPTER 31

W ilder

Xander: The bait has been dropped.

Me: Any issues?

Xander: I do own half the town. No one said a goddamn thing at the jail.

Me: Then let’s get it done.

Xander: You can’t see the forest for the trees, brother.

Me: I can see perfectly fine, brother.

His laugh emoji reminded me that my brother had a twisted sense of humor. I guess we all did. Over the last few years, various situations had confirmed that the three of us were more alike than we often cared to admit.

While we all had unique talents, our collective strength was formidable.

And in this case, deadly.

A rumble of thunder from miles away drew my attention away from reminiscing. It was almost cathartic there was a storm outside that fueled certain memories. Images and voices I’d become very good at suppressing over the years.

No longer.

They needed to be remembered.

“There must be a connection with the women your father chose and murdered all those years ago.” My lovely butterfly had her prosecuting attorney voice down. I adored hearing it and the way she stood with one leg slightly positioned in front of the other with her arms crossed.

As I turned, I was allowed a moment where she simply took my breath away. I suddenly noticed behavioral tics that I hadn’t before. Like the way she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear when she was nervous, the subtle action exposing the graceful line of her neck. Or the slight flutter of her eyelashes against her flushed cheeks.

Even the stark contrast in what she was wearing now instead of the simple skirt and blouse I’d captured her in reminded me we were still playing a game.

A dangerous one.

A championship that could only have one winner. In the process, her entire world would be destroyed no matter the outcome.

Perhaps she’d believed I’d carelessly tossed clothes into the duffle I’d brought with me, but she’d be wrong. Wearing black jeans and a tight black shirt, she was sleek and ready for covert action. I’d wanted her by my side during the hunt, adding her talents to mine.

But that had been a goddamn wargame pipedream. Ruining her life wasn’t acceptable under any circumstances.

A war. She had no idea that was exactly what she was involved in. At that moment, all I could think about was protecting her against the evils of the world. My brother’s words had somehow managed to have a powerful influence over me.

I’d debated for almost a full hour on whether to call the Scorekeeper’s bluff, but as of right now, there was no other choice. Only we would control the hunt. Placing her in danger wasn’t anything I’d intended, quite the opposite in fact, but her utter determination to fight the good fight had already become an issue.

There were at least five women entrapped by the madman, the dangerous game about to spin out of control. I’d also thought about my beautiful attorney’s life in the future. Was she like me in so many ways? Yes, she was. More so than I’d initially believed. However, she had a light inside her that I didn’t. That was something I needed to remember.

Not just for now, but for the future.

“And why would that matter?” I asked, curious as to her answer.

“It could lead us to details and clues about the type of women he chooses.”

“I thought we’d already established that.”

She laughed. “A lesser attorney would only look at face value. It’s not just about pointing a cursor and selecting one of the Sugar Babies members. It’s about the real reason behind the game. Who are they and what damage will be done by their murders?”

“If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you were saying this is political.” I’d debated telling her the Scorekeeper had struck again. What purpose would it serve at this point? Until we knew for certain he’d swallow the bait, churning her mind full of ideas would likely not be in my best interest.

Or hers for that matter.

She laughed and swaggered closer. “Not political as much as based in wealth and power, but in an entirely different way.”

I had to think about what she was suggesting. “You’re talking about men of extreme wealth and influence who have dirty little secrets. If those secrets were exposed, their entire kingdoms would crumble to dust.”

Cassandra grinned as she walked even closer. When she placed both palms on my shaft, I took a deep inhale of her intoxicating perfume.

It was another addition to my bag of goodies.

“Very good. I think you might make an excellent attorney,” she cooed.

“Then the key is to find the men involved with the scheme.” The idea was a good one, but this time, I wasn’t certain the same would apply. Unless… I’d need to check on the identities of the women who’d been abducted recently.

“They could be some of the ones who were involved thirty-six years ago or products of their genes. Maybe your father took a fall for them. You know, a sick game being played by wealthy, bored men. Sound familiar?”

In truth, her thought was a twisted, but brilliant one. “Only we don’t go around killing our contestants.”

“Only the enemies who get in your way.”

“Mmmm… Like father, like sons?” She had a very good point. If there were others involved, it would be a joy to flush them out in a long, brutal hunt of their own.

Instead of laughing, she purred. “We make a good team. However, I don’t think you’re evil like your father. I don’t know your brothers, but if they’re anything like you, then all three of you should consider yourself angels.”

Chuckling, I cupped her face, digging the tips of my fingers into her skin as I pulled her closer. I towered over her and as she peered into my eyes, I came damn close to seeing the world through hers.

It was an entirely different way than I’d looked at mine.

While every view had been jaded for me over the years, she was able to look at things from different viewpoints, which allowed her to better judge the scenario.

No wonder she was so damn good at what she did.

“We’re no angels, Lady Butterfly, and while you are correct in that we make a very good team, only I make the rules. Traditional ones don’t apply. Neither do ones of justice.”

“So you keep telling me. Just remember good usually defeats evil.” She blew a swath of hot air across my face before I crushed my lips over hers.

Little did she understand there were some evils that could never be destroyed, the seeds festering for hundreds if not thousands of years.

As always, the taste of her was sweet, more so than honey-laced cherries. The thought was ridiculous for a man like me, but accurate. I swept my tongue inside, marveling at how well we fit together.

Our bodies.

Our blackened souls.

Perhaps even a portion of our hearts.

Some would say I didn’t have one, but when I was with her, I knew better.

Kissing was intimate, extremely personal, and felt completely right with the lovely prosecutor. She clung to me, arching her back as she attempted to dominate my tongue.

That wasn’t going to happen. When I broke the kiss, I bit down on her lower lip, issuing a single growl.

The sound always made her laugh.

Cassandra pushed away, glancing at me and shaking her head. “I rarely play by anyone’s rules.”

“Not true. You play by the rules of justice.” I grinned as she rolled her eyes.

“Okay, you found my single weakness.”

“Just one?”

“Bastard. What devious plans have you cooked up, Mr. Blackwell?”

“Who, me?”

“You’re dressed in all black as well.”

“My favorite color,” I told her. Which was true.

“We’re going hunting.”

“Very astute of you.” At this point, I’d need to keep her thinking she would be invited. If not, she’d find some way of escaping once again. I couldn’t allow that to happen.

Excitement tore through her eyes. “That means you trust me.”

“With all I am and all I have. But…” I placed the tip of my index finger against her pert little nose. “No heroics. You will be completely disguised. No talking, at least at first. I’ll tell you what to say. Do you understand?”

“You’re trying to trap him. By doing so, you could harm yourself. You could be arrested.”

“By whom? You wanted to help, Lady Butterfly. There is only one way I will allow you to do that.”

She turned her head. “You’re using me as bait.”

“In a way, but not like what you’d expect. But again, you’ll need to trust me.” I had no intention of placing her in harm’s way.

“Yes, but we’ll still need to learn everything we can about the man and who he’s working with.”

I cocked my head. Why did I have a feeling she was up to something? “We’ll find out and take care of it, Cassandra.”

“You need to stop being judge and jury.”

“Our game.”

“Damn it! Don’t do that. You have lives of your own to live. Allow the system to take care of this.”

“Like it did before?” I demanded.

She sucked in and held her breath briefly. “Fair enough.”

“You can help by lending me your voice and any ideas you have about those our father might be working with.”

“Did the person who supplied you with the information also list any connections between the women? Did your father have anyone on the outside willing to help him? Even a single suspicion night eventually break this situation wide open.”

“My acquaintance was just a cop on the beat at that point. However, from what little he was able to relay, it would appear my father’s criminal records have mostly been sealed.”

“Isn’t that interesting. Just like your foster records.”

She was suggesting a very plausible dirty little cover-up. I took a deep breath. “Yes, very much so. The warden wasn’t very helpful either. I honestly don’t know why he returned my call.”

“Maybe because he’s aware you and your brothers are the only ones who can lead police to your father’s whereabouts. Perhaps he believes you’ll become actual heroes and he’ll keep his job.” She frowned.

“How ironic.”

“How appropriate, Wilder. When did he escape?”

“A couple months ago. Why?”

“Then why does that man have a job?” She whispered the question, rubbing her finger back and forth across her bottom lip. “However you plan on handling this, nothing changes the fact we need to learn everything we can about him. If I can make a few phone calls, my guess is I can push enough buttons to get to whatever connection there was with the women from your father’s case.”

“Or you could ruffle feathers.”

Sighing, she looked away briefly. “True. We need to be very careful with this. While monsters believe they are more intelligent than those attempting to stop them, those with a special ability always have an escape route planned. That way they can continue stalking, maiming, or killing their victims even if doing so in a different city or state.”

“I assure you my father was and is a cunning man. At this point, phone calls will do nothing more than sound off an alarm. I can’t risk that.”

“Not with your vigilante justice being served up like caviar.”

“Do you really see any other way?”

Her expression reflected tension. “No, but that doesn’t mean I like it. How do you plan on luring the monster out in the open? By using my voice?”

“He already expressed his eagerness the moment he broke his own rules and contacted you. You’ll be at a safe distance.”

“There’s that word again. Nothing is safe any longer. Is it? All we’ve ever known, good versus evil and right versus wrong could be tossed out the door at any moment. How very sad.”

Her words twisted the knife that was already rusting in my gut.

“I have a question for you. Why were you so insistent on investigating me and my company? I doubt it was a random choice and you’ve told me you’ve never played Dark Nights.”

“My boss. He asked me as a personal favor.” She narrowed her eyes. “But I did start the game. Very intriguing.”

“To investigate for improprieties.”

“Yes,” she managed and even as good of an actress as she’d been forced to become over the years, I noticed the second’s worth of a twitch in the corner of her mouth.

“There’s more, Cassandra. Your boss has a personal reason for seeking justice.”

“I don’t know. Maybe nothing, but I need to think something through. But if you’re insinuating my boss is part of this twisted group of people, you’re wrong. He’s a very good man.”

“You said so yourself, Lady Butterfly. Right and wrong are basically a flip of a coin. Maximus Wells was a young, eager, and aggressive cop who’d just taken the detective’s exam when Cain Demarco interrupted his life. He had no money, no clout, and a family to support. Maybe he was paid to look the other way, not expecting innocent people would be killed.”

“You know more about what happened all those years ago. Don’t you? Either from memory or digging through the muck where people tried to bury this.” As before, she folded her arms, backing away from me to create a separation of our business and personal relationships.

“I do so adore your choice of words. Information is not only vital in my world as well as extremely useful, but can also be used as a weapon. I have as many friends as I do enemies. What I don’t know is why does he feel any guilt? It was a very long time ago. Unless our father’s escape was merely too much for the principled man to handle.”

She briefly acted like she didn’t want to tell me, avoiding my eye contact just long enough to think of an alternative answer. “He turned your mother away when she asked for protection. Don’t be angry with him. He’s carried the burden for the majority of his life.”

So many pieces were falling into place. Her ideas were becoming more and more feasible.

As sick as they were, they were also quite delicious and sounded like something my biological father would do. It was funny how relaxing and enlightening conversations could be. My butterfly was still trying to look at the best in everyone and everything around her.

“We’ve all carried a burden, sweet butterfly. Every one of us. Which is why you need to understand that when this is finished and the man has been sent to hell, the entire fucking city will be better off. Then you’ll be safe.”

“We’ve had this discussion before. You still haven’t answered me. What is safe any longer?”

“Without me in your life.” I’d boomeranged too often. Keeping her as a possession was all I wanted, yet freeing her was what a decent human being would do.

Although I certainly wasn’t decent by any stretch of the imagination.

There was another ping of my phone, the sound pulling at all sense of control. My jaw clenched and suddenly, I tasted copper.

Like I had the night my mother had been slaughtered when my father had backhanded me.

Very slowly, I lifted the phone, glaring at the screen.

Unknown: The end is near, the hunt soon to begin. Only one winner can take the prize. Only one can rule the kingdom. Come to where it all began, men of the Obsidian Society, to the birthplace of true evil.

I lowered my phone, taking a deep breath.

“Who was that?” she asked with the usual concern in her voice. Just looking into her eyes allowed me to experience a fleeting look at what being a decent human being would feel like.

“No one important. We need to talk.”

She moved closer, placing her hand on my forearm. I witnessed the flash of pain in her eyes before she shut down her emotions. I’d been around enough doctors and lawyers in my life to know when one was determined to break through the barriers and provide help. The sooner she realized it wasn’t possible the better.

“Wilder, listen to me. I know what you’re going to tell me, but I won’t buy a word of it. You need to realize and accept that you aren’t anything like your father. Nothing. You’re a good man and since you don’t believe it, I’m going to keep reminding you of that fact. I care about you. Don’t you see that? You were right all along. We connect in a deep way, deeper than anyone else I’ve ever been with.”

“So you’re willing to accept I’m a killer and have no issue learning to live with it.” Ice ran through my veins.

“You won’t need to do that any longer. Will you? You’ll have your final justice, which is all you wanted in the first place. All those people you helped by killing their abuser or their attacker was all about your father. Not you. You wanted to avenge your mother’s death. Now, you get the chance. You won’t be able to live with yourself if you don’t. I get it now. And if you won’t allow me to hunt with you, then fine, but I will be here when you return. I’ll be waiting for you. Then maybe we can have a happily ever after.”

“A happily ever after? I’m a monster and you’re an angel.”

“Bullshit.”

There was no reason to be frustrated with her determined wishes, but I was, enough so I pulled away and grabbed the photograph, forcing her to take a good, hard look at the faces. “Take a good look at the man in the photograph, my sweet butterfly.”

She barely glanced, darting her gaze up to meet mine.

I grabbed her arm, squeezing more than I’d intended. “Look!”

“Fine. But you’re hurting me.”

“Which is more than this bastard will do if he manages to get his hands on you. Look at the photograph, Cassandra. Tell me what you see.”

“Jesus. Okay! I…” She took a few seconds, her chest heaving as she did what I commanded her to do. “I see him. He has cold eyes. They’re devoid of life.”

“Very good. Look at mine.”

Huffing, she tilted her head, flicking her gaze back and forth. “Intelligent. A sense of knowing. And love.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, butterfly. I don’t know how to love.”

“You’re such a liar, Wilder. Why do you do that to yourself and to me?”

“Look again. What else do you see?”

She was struggling with the answer, but when I shook her entire body, she grimaced and lifted her pretty eyes with mine. We were both locked in a harsh prison cell, one completely understanding the other, finding several lost pieces of our soul.

However, it wasn’t enough.

I’d ruin her.

“Tell me!”

“Fine. Fine! He looks just like you.”